First race for NAPA Truck and MINI’s
04 Apr 2023
The anticipation is building as NAPA Racing UK prepares to head to Brands Hatch for the opening rounds of the British Truck Racing Championship (BTRC) and MINI CHALLENGE Trophy during the Easter bank holiday this weekend.
Paul Rivett will return behind the wheel of his #22 racing machine for a full supersized season following an impressive debut performance at Convoy in the Park in 2022. The opening round will see Rivett make a spectacular return to the track with his eyes set firmly on the Division 2 title for 2023.
Meanwhile, a new era dawns for the team as they make their debut in the MINI CHALLENGE Trophy this weekend. #15 Cam Richardson and #26 Callum Eason will make their first appearance in the MINIs as the championship supports the BTRC for the first race of the season.
With plenty of pre-season testing under their belts over the past couple of months, all drivers are geared up to take to the starting grid to kick-start what is expecting to be an exciting season for the NAPA Racing UK squad.
The Track
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit in Kent. The circuit offers two layout configurations., the “Indy Circuit” and the “GP Circuit”. The Indy circuit will be used for this coming easter weekend. The 1.21 mile circuit offers a unique combination of dips, cambers, fearsome corners and hills making it a challenging circuit for drivers.
British Truck Racing Championship Explained
The Saturday schedule will consist of a 1 x 15-mintue qualifying session, followed by 2 x 15-minute races, while Sunday will see 3 x 15-mintue races.
Grid positions will be set as per the table below:
Race 1
Fastest times set during qualifying with all class 1 trucks ahead of all class 2
Race 2
Second fastest times during qualifying
Race 3
Results from Race 1 sets the grid with the top eight in each class reversed
Race 4
Result from Race 2 sets the grid with the top eight in each class reversed
Race 5
Result from Race 2 sets the grid with the top eight in each class reversed
15 points will be awarded for 1st place in both classes, 14 points for 2nd, 13 for 3rd and then going down in single points to 15th place.
MINI CHALLENGE Trophy Explained
The Cooper Class provides close, fair racing at an entry level and will make three appearances on the TOCA Package and a further two events as the BTRC support championship.
This weekend will feature three rounds, all taking place on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit. The format will be a 1 x 15-mintue qualifying session, followed by a 1 x 15-mintue race on Saturday and 2 x 15-mintue races on Sunday.
The single qualifying session will be used to determine the starting order for the opening race of the weekend.
The grid for the second race will be determined by the finishing order of race one. While the grid for race three will be based on the results of race two, a reverse grid will be in place for the leading runners. If there are more than 20 entries, the top four to top six will be reversed – the exact number once again being determined via a reverse grid draw.
Points are awarded to each driver to finish a race on a sliding scale from 50 points for the winner down to 15 for those drivers finishing 20th and lower. Bonus points are awarded for scoring pole position and then for setting fastest lap in each race.
Drivers will also be presented with an award to the top finisher in the Rookie, Graduate and Directors Cup.
THE TEAM
PAUL RIVETT – BRITISH TRUCK RACING CHAMPIONSHIP – #22
“I am massively looking forward to getting the season underway at Brands Hatch this weekend in the NAPA truck. The support at my home circuit is always nothing short of amazing!”
CAM RICHARDSON – MINI CHALLENGE TROPHY – #15
“It’s really exciting to get round one of the MINI Challenge underway with NAPA Racing UK. We’ve put a lot of work into testing, in preparation for this year and we’re all really eager to see where we’re at for the first one. The team work unbelievably hard for us behind the scenes, it’s a pleasure to have them and repaying everyone at NAPA Racing with some reflective results and solid points to kick things off would be an ideal start! And of course, myself and Callum are always hungry for results.”
CALLUM EASON – MINI CHALLENGE TROPHY – #26
“Round one is about to get underway and with a lot of testing and the team working extremely hard behind-the-scenes, I am keen to get those NAPA cars up the front.”
The opening round of the season kicks off this weekend, 8/9 April at Brands Hatch. Make sure to keep up to date throughout the weekend by following the teams progress on TSL timings: https://www.tsl-timing.com/event/231421
Follow @NAPARacingUK on social media to never miss an update!
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